ACM MemberNet - February 26, 2009
Welcome to the February edition of ACM MemberNet, bringing you the world of ACM and beyond. Explore the many facets of ACM with our newsletter of member activities and events. Read current and past issues of MemberNet online at http://membernet.acm.org/. Is there a person, event, or issue you'd like to see covered? Please email mn-editor at acm.org.
Read TechNews, ACM's digest of news and information for IT professionals published three times a week.
Washington Update, a monthly newsletter from USACM reporting on activities in Washington.
Published biweekly, ACM CareerNews provides summaries of articles on career-related topics in the computing field.
ACM-W newsletter (pdf) from ACM's Women's Council
TOP STORIES
- ACM CEO John White Appears on PBS "Nightly Business Report"
- ACM Sees Key Economic Role for CS in UK Research Survey Results
- ACM President Dame Wendy Hall Shares Views on ACM, CS in Exclusive Interview
- 2009 SIGCOMM and SIGMOBILE Candidate Slates Announced
Awards
- Call for Nominations for New ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award
- Call for 2008 ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award Nominations
- ACM Fellow Ed Catmull Garners Oscar for Computer Graphics Leadership
Member Recognition
- ACM Names 37 Distinguished Members for Advances in Computing Technology
- Call for ACM Senior Member Nominations
Conferences and Events
- "Engaging Computer Science Education" Theme of 2009 SIGCSE Symposium
- WebSci '09 to Explore Web's Societal Impact
- SIGUCCS Spring Management Symposium to Focus on IT Management Issues
- Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Offers Networking Opportunities
- CHI 2009 Explores Digital Life
- Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference Eyes New Obama Administration
- Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Opens Call for Participation
Public Policy
- USACM Applauds US Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- ACM Urges Steps to Transform Government for a Web 2.0 World
Member Programs
- ACM Member-Get-A-Member 2008–2009 Campaign
- ACM Adds Four Offerings to Insurance Program
- Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
Online Books & Courses
- Safari®, Books24x7® Book Swaps
Career & Job Center
- Revamped ACM Career & Job Center to Feature Easier Navigation, Corporate Listings
Education
- CSTA Roadshow Videos Now Available
Student News
- Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
- ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
- Student Volunteers Needed to Help Train High School CS Teachers
- Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
ACM-W News
- ACM-W Events at SIGCSE Conference
- ACM-W Ambassador's Report: SIMS Mascot Meets Psyched Sisters in Australia
Publications News
- Coming in March: New Communications of the ACM Website
- Communications of the ACM Reports: How to Inspire, Recruit, and Retain Women for CS Careers
- ACM Queue Explores Growing Ecosystem of Purpose-Built Languages
- interactions Reports: Designing Products that Meet Social, Cultural Concerns to Succeed in Global Markets
ACM in the News
- "Gadget Reads Users' Minds From Their Grip"
- "Do We Need a New Internet?"
- "Berkeley Releases Cloud Computing Study"
- "Number of Paper Submissions Up for 46th DAC"
TOP STORIES
ACM CEO John White Appears on PBS "Nightly Business Report"
The Nightly Business Report on public television station PBS featured a segment on changes in technology over the last 30 years, citing the stunning speed from research to market that has marked the computing field. ACM CEO John White commented that this pace cannot be sustained without continued public and private funding for innovation as well as a strong education system that emphasizes computational thinking to leverage every dimension of science and technology.
Watch the video (approximately 3 minutes).
ACM Sees Key Economic Role for CS in UK Research Survey Results
A panel of international experts in Computer Science and Informatics has found that the computational thinking that drives the Computer Science field is a key tool for solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior in many disciplines. The survey reported an increased level in the influence of Computer Science on other disciplines, including bioinformatics, medicine, and e-health, among others. ACM President Dame Wendy Hall participated in the survey's Computer Science panel, and ACM CEO John White commented on the survey.
Read the press release.
ACM President Dame Wendy Hall Shares Views on ACM, CS in Exclusive Interview
ACM President Dame Wendy Hall was interviewed by Stephen Ibaraki as part of his interview series for CIPS Connections. The 30-minute segment includes Dame Wendy's views on key issues as they relate to ACM and the entire computing profession, and is available in MP3 format to listen to online.
Read excerpts from the interview.
2009 SIGCOMM and SIGMOBILE Candidate Slates Announced
In the January issue of MemberNet, we informed you of the upcoming 2009 SIG Elections. We would now like to bring to your attention the slate of candidates for SIGCOMM and SIGMOBILE. To view the complete listing of candidate slates, please visit the 2009 ACM SIG Election site. In accordance with the SIG Bylaws, additional candidates may be placed on the ballot by petition. All candidates must be Professional Members of ACM, as well as members of the SIG. Anyone interested in petitioning must inform ACM Headquarters (Pat Ryan, ACM, 2 Penn Plaza, Suite 701, NY, NY 10121) and the SIG Secretary of their intent to petition by March 16.
Awards
Call for Nominations for New ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award
The new ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award recognizes substantial contributions to programmability and productivity in computing and substantial community service or mentoring contributions. The award honors the substantial research, service, and mentoring contributions of the late Ken Kennedy, the founder of Rice University's computer science program and one of the world's foremost experts on high-performance computing. The first presentation of this award will be in November 2009 at the SC 09 conference. The award is open to contributors at all stages of their careers. The winner of the award should be someone who has made an outstanding, innovative contribution or contributions to programming and productivity in computing, and has also contributed to computing through teaching, mentoring, or community service. Anyone may nominate. The award includes a $5,000 honorarium. The recipient will give a presentation, normally technical, at the SC conference at which it is announced, or at an ACM or IEEE conference of the winner's choosing during the year following the announcement. The deadline for nominations is July 1. Nominations that follow the guidelines on the Award Nominations page should be sent to the attention of the Kennedy Award Chair (see contact information under heading, "2008 Award Subcommittee Chairs and Members").
Call for 2008 ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award Nominations
Each year, ACM recognizes technical and professional achievements within the computing and information technology community through its celebrated Awards Program. And annually, ACM's award committees evaluate the contributions of candidates for various awards that span a spectrum of professional and technological accomplishments. While the nominations deadlines for most of the general ACM awards have passed, please note the deadline for nominations for the ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award:- ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award - March 1, 2009
ACM Fellow Ed Catmull Garners Oscar for Computer Graphics Leadership
Ed Catmull, a computer scientist, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, and president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, received an award from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his lifetime of technical contributions and leadership in the field of computer graphics for the motion picture industry. Catmull, who delivered a keynote address at the SIGGRAPH 2008 conference, was presented with an Oscar statuette for the Gordon E. Sawyer Award at the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentations earlier this month.
Read the press release.
Member Recognition
ACM Names 37 Distinguished Members for Advances in Computing Technology
ACM has named 37 of its members as Distinguished Members in recognition of their individual contributions to both the practical and theoretical aspects of computing and information technology. The new ACM Distinguished Members include computer scientists and engineers from some of the world's leading corporations, research labs, and universities. They are being honored for significant advances in computing technology that have dramatically influenced progress in science, engineering, business, and many other areas of human endeavor.
Read the press release.
Call for ACM Senior Member Nominations
The Senior Member advanced grade of membership recognizes ACM members with at least 10 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who have demonstrated performance and accomplishment that set them apart from their peers. Nominations are accepted on a quarterly basis. The deadline for nominations is February 28. The next deadline is May 31.
Conferences and Events
"Engaging Computer Science Education" Theme of 2009 SIGCSE Symposium
The 40th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2009) slated for March 4 to 7 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, provides a forum for sharing new ideas in this field. The program will include sessions on Java, girls and game design and development, promoting critical thinking in students, robotics, AP Computer Science, K–12 outreach, and much more. Keynote speakers will include Elliott Koffman of Temple University, winner of this year's SIGCSE Outstanding Contribution to CS Education Award; Craig Mundie, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer; and Gregory Abowd of Georgia Tech. A Student Research Competition will take place at the conference.
WebSci '09 to Explore Web's Societal Impact
Registration is now open for WebSci '09, the first Web Science conference dedicated to the presentation of research into society on the Web. The conference takes place March 18 to 20 in Athens, Greece. It is organized by the Web Science Research Initiative and the Foundation of the Hellenic World, and supported in part by ACM, among other organizations. Speakers include Josef Sifakis, a 2007 ACM Turing Award co-recipient, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Director of the World Wide Web Consortium. The conference aims to explore the development of the Web across different areas of everyday life and technological development. Registration information is available.
SIGUCCS Spring Management Symposium to Focus on IT Management Issues
The 36th annual ACM SIGUCCS Spring Management Symposium, sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services (SIGUCCS), will take place March 30 to April 1 in Nashville, Tennessee. This symposium brings together today's higher education IT leaders and aspiring leaders to share diverse views, experiences, and challenges in an intimate environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in real discourse toward real solutions. SMS has a legacy of providing interesting and relevant program content in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Whether you are a veteran CIO or new to IT leadership and management, you'll leave the symposium with new thoughts, new ideas, new friends, and a connection to a professional network of your peers. The symposium's unique and highly successful format features focused presentations, facilitated discussion sessions and panels, and two outstanding keynote speakers: Brian Voss of Louisiana State University, and Kelly Gaither of the University of Texas at Austin. Sessions are organized into three program tracks that focus on areas of interest for higher education IT leaders in institutions of all sizes. The program tracks for SMS 2009 are "Effective Planning, Collaborations, and Governance," "Innovation: Options and Implementations," and "Leadership, Professional Development, and Applying the 'Soft Skills.'"
Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Offers Networking Opportunities
The Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (Tapia 2009) will focus on the four "I"s: Intellect, Initiatives, Insight, and Innovations. The conference, scheduled for April 1 to 4 in Portland, Oregon, aims to provide a supportive networking environment for under-represented groups across the broad range of computing and information technology, from science to business to the arts to infrastructure. Rice University professor Richard Tapia, for whom the conference is named, is the director of the Empowering Leadership (EL) Alliance, an organization that aims to provide minority students with a community of support as they pursue their degrees. Students especially are encouraged to attend and interact with national leaders in computing from business and academia. Papers, panels, workshops, birds-of-a-feather sessions, a doctoral consortium, a robotics competition, and a Student Research Compeition will address technical issues as well as topics related to diversity.
CHI 2009 Explores Digital Life
CHI 2009, the conference on Computer-Human Interaction sponsored by ACM SIGCHI, will bring together the Design, Engineering and User Experience communities in Boston April 4 to 9. CHI will explore the technologies, designs and ideas that will form the new world of digital life, and the many ways computing can improve life throughout the world. Judith Olson of the University of California at Irvine will deliver the opening plenary. Courses, paper presentations and panels will cover topics as diverse as "Giving Children a Voice in the Design of Technology"; "User Experience in Open Source"; social networking; "Classifying and Recommending Content"; and "Mobile Applications for the Developing World". The closing plenary will be "Dreaming of the Impossible," by Kees Overbeeke, of Eindhoven University of Technology.
2009 Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference Eyes New Obama Administration
The 19th annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference, slated for June 1 to 4, 2009 in Washington, DC, is the leading policy conference exploring the impact of the internet, computers, and communications technologies on society. For more than a decade, CFP has anticipated policy trends and issues and has shaped the public debate on the future of privacy and freedom in an ever more technology-filled world. CFP focuses on topics such as freedom of speech, privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, telecommunications, electronic democracy, digital rights and responsibilities, and the future of technologies and their implications. Panels, workshop sessions, and other events will address topics including:- National security and privacy: what's next?
- The future of medical records
- The future of Moore's aw and its implications
- The Crypto Wars revisited: lessons for tomorrow
- Global companies, local laws: EU and US privacy
- Artificial intelligence and privacy
- Online ads and behavioral targeting
The 9th Annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) has opened its call for participation. The annual conference, presented by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI), is the world's largest gathering of women in computing. The Grace Hopper Celebration will take place from September 30 to October 3, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona. This year's theme, "Creating Technology for Social Good," recognizes the significant role women play in defining technology used to solve social issues. The submission deadline is March 16.
Public Policy
USACM Applauds US Recovery and Reinvestment Act
As Congress voted to approve the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ACM's Public Policy Committee (USACM) hailed the measure's renewed commitment to science and technology innovation as a key driver of economic growth in the United States. USACM commended Congress's intent to transform the economy with expanded investments in basic research and development for several key federal agencies and departments, and pointed to computer science as uniquely positioned to spur economic recovery.
Read the press release.
ACM Urges Steps to Transform Government for a Web 2.0 World
As Congress considers how to ensure transparency in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ACM's public policy committee (USACM) issued recommendations to make the growing body of government data open, and accessible to all Americans. USACM issued the statement to encourage government policy makers to use these recommendations when they build federal websites, including the recovery.gov site contemplated as part of the recovery act.
Read the press release.
Member Programs
ACM Member-Get-A-Member 2008–2009 Campaign
ACM recently launched its new 2008–2009 Member-Get-A-Member Recruitment Drive, with new prizes added to our already great selection, and an Apple iPhone grand prize! Current members are the ideal ambassadors to communicate the advantages of joining ACM to prospective members, and those who participate by telling friends and colleagues about ACM may be eligible for valuable gifts and special recognition. ACM's Online Member-Get-A-Member program is interactive, easy to use, and rewards members for helping to recruit new members. The drive ends June 30, 2009. For referral forms, recruitment tips and tools, prizes and rewards, and bonus gifts, visit the Member-Get-a-Member drive page.
ACM Adds Four Offerings to Insurance Program
ACM has added four plans to the ACM Insurance Program. The new offerings are Group 10 or 20 Year Level Term Life Insurance, Long Term Care, and Group Dental Insurance. ACM members living in the US are eligible. Visit the insurance page to learn more about these programs, and all of ACM's Insurance Program plans.
Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
ACM Professional Members can enjoy the convenience of making a single payment for their entire tenure as an ACM Member, and also be protected from future price increases by taking advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership option. Pricing for ACM Lifetime Membership is based on age and current dues rates, and the option to include the ACM Digital Library is also available. ACM Lifetime Membership dues may be tax deductible under certain circumstances (please consult with your tax advisor). Lifetime Members will receive a certificate of recognition suitable for framing, and enjoy all of the benefits of ACM Professional Membership.
Online Books & Courses
Safari®, Books24x7® Book Swaps
On February 9, ACM swapped 110 titles in the Safari Books Online® and Books24x7® collections. In total, 50 titles from Books24x7 and 60 titles from Safari were replaced by new or requested titles. The complete list of new titles can be found on the new books page. For more information on the 1,100 books available to members in ACM's Online Books program, visit the Online Books home page.
Career & Job Center
Revamped ACM Career & Job Center to Feature Easier Navigation, Corporate Listings
ACM's Career & Job Center is getting a new look. Over the next few months, ACM's Job Board will debut new and updated graphics and easier-to-navigate categories for both job seekers and employers. Also over the next few months, joining the existing Academic Job Board will be a new Corporate Job Board. Whether you are an active job seeker or just like to keep abreast of what's available in the computing industry and academia, be sure to visit ACM's Career & Job Center to post your resumé in the Resume Bank and view job openings. For more information, please contact Jennifer Ruzicka.
Education
CSTA Roadshow Videos Now Available
In May 2008, the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and ACM's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) organized a two-day event to bring together faculty and students offering or planning to develop outreach "roadshows" to local K–12 schools to talk about careers in Computer Science. The event, sponsored by Google and held at Google's Mountain View Campus in California, provided an opportunity to share research, expertise, and best practices aimed at improving the quality and number of college and university-supported careers and equity outreach programs. To view CSTA/SIGCSE Roadshow videos, please visit the CSTA web site.
Student News
Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
ACM Student Research Competitions take place at ACM-sponsored conferences throughout the year. Students present their papers in poster sessions to compete for the Grand Finals prizes, and network with luminaries from academia and industry. PLDI 2009 is the next conference accepting submissions. The deadline is March 15, 2009. Learn about more competitions on the SRC submissions page.
ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
A program launched by ACM's Committee on Women in Computing (ACM-W) provides support for undergraduate or graduate women students in Computer Science programs who are interested in attending research conferences. It is not required that the student present a paper at the conference she attends. High school students will also be considered for conference support. Initially, up to 12 scholarships of up to $500 each will be awarded annually. ACM-W also encourages the student's home department to match the scholarship award and recognize the student's achievement locally within her department. Applications will be evaluated in four groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences, with two to three awards given each quarter. For application form, notification dates and more information, please visit the scholarships page.
Student Volunteers Needed to Help Teach High School CS Teachers
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) is seeking Computer Science college students proficient in Java and other new programming languages and environments to train high school CS teachers in these technologies. Java Engagement for Teacher Training (JETT) and Teacher Enrichment in Computer Science (TECS) are one- and two-day workshops for high school teachers, hosted by college and university CS students and faculty. Hosting a JETT or TECS workshop is a great volunteer experience for individual student ACM members, as well as student chapters. For more information please contact Gail Chapman, the JETT and TECS workshop coordinator.
Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
ACM offers a special ACM Professional Membership for $49 USD (regularly $99) to help graduating students make the transition to professional careers, and take advantage of continuous learning opportunities, including free online books and courses and access to ACM's Career & Job Center. This one-year-only transition rate includes all the benefits of Professional Membership plus the option of purchasing a Digital Library subscription for $50. Recent graduates can access this special transition offer through ACM's convenient online renewal form, or by following the instructions on the paper renewal form. For more information, visit the Reasons to Transition to Professional Membership page.
ACM-W News
ACM-W Events at SIGCSE Conference
The ACM Women's Council (ACM-W) invites SIGCSE members to two events during SIGCSE 2009 in Chattanooga, Tennessee March 4 to 7. ACM-W will host its annual booth (number 421) in the Exhibition Area. Please drop by to talk with ACM-W project leaders about their international efforts to recruit, retain and celebrate women in computing. The booth will contain hard-copy information and displays about the various ACM-W projects (with CDs for those who wish to travel lightly). Also, each year at SIGCSE, ACM-W sponsors a town meeting, where ACM and SIGCSE members can communicate directly with ACM-W about ACM-W's efforts, ask questions, and provide feedback and requests. "A Town Meeting: SIGCSE Committee on Expanding the Women-in-Computing Community" will be held Thursday, March 5, 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. in Meeting Room 3. Gloria Childress Townsend of DePauw University, and Paula Gabbert of Furman University will moderate. Please join us for a few minutes of important dialogue concerning the path you would like ACM's gender issues organization to follow and how we can best support you in your own efforts to recruit and retain women in computing. To subscribe to the SIGCSE committee's listserv, send email to [email protected] and in the body of your message include: subscribe SIGCSE-WOMEN-COMM <your_name> where <your_name> designates the name you want listed in listserv records. For more information about ACM-W and SIGCSE, email Gloria at [email protected].
ACM-W Ambassador's Report: SIMS Mascot Meets Psyched Sisters in Australia
Annemieke Craig, ACM-W's Australian Ambassasor, reports on "Go Girls Go for IT," an event held at Deakin University in Melbourne for secondary school girls aged 13 to 17. Sim, a popular female character from the new SIMS game from Electronic Arts, was there to greet them. Read Annemieke's entire post at ACM-W's News Blog.
Publications News
Coming in March: New Communications of the ACM Website
Within the next few weeks, Communications of the ACM will launch a completely new website to complement the recently re-launched CACM magazine. The new site will include the latest technology news, blogs, articles, interviews, opinions, career content and much more, plus advanced features offering readers an enhanced experience. Visit the CACM website for the latest information on this important development.
Communications of the ACM Reports: How to Inspire, Recruit, and Retain Women for CS Careers
While women's representation in the computing field has improved in some sectors, it is still far short of equal. In its cover story, the February 2009 issue of Communications of the ACM (CACM) assesses the progress of women in the field over the last 15 years, and presents successful strategies and promising initiatives to increase women's participation. The issue also reports on how the growing Web is moving from a Web of content to a Web of applications; improving performance on the Internet to accommodate fast, scalable, content-delivery systems; differing paths to preserving network neutrality; and how the first Internet president changed the way politicians and the public interact. The February issue is available online in digital format.
Read the press release.
ACM Queue Explores Growing Ecosystem of Purpose-Built Languages
In the latest issue of ACM Queue, Mike Shapiro from Sun writes about the growing ecosystems of purpose-built, "little" languages, which "sprout like weeds alongside the road of mainstream language development." Shapiro describes how these languages have evolved—whether by mutation, hybridization, or symbiosis with other languages—into essential tools for today's software engineers.
interactions Reports: Designing Products that Meet Social, Cultural Concerns to Succeed in Global Markets
Addressing the need to ensure appropriate social and cultural resonance of products and services, the January+February 2009 issue of interactions magazine explores companies that have tried and failed to meet this critical requirement of the global marketplace. Topics range from selling products in emerging markets for which they have not been designed, to forcing new technology on aging customers; from designing homogeneous homes that do not fit the heterogeneous lives of their residents, to arbitrarily separating hardware, software, and interface designs that should work together to benefit users. interactions, a bimonthly publication of the ACM Media Group, focuses on the interactions among experiences, people, and technology.
Read the press release.
ACM in the News
"Gadget Reads Users' Minds From Their Grip"
New Scientist, February 17, 2009
MIT HCI researchers have developed a prototype control device that predicts what function the user is trying to access based on how the device is handled. The research will be presented at ACM's CHI 2009 conference April 4-9 in Boston.
"Do We Need a New Internet?"
New York Times, February 14, 2009
USACM Chair Eugene Spafford says computer security is worse off than 20 years ago, due to focus on "patching the current problem rather than investing in the redesign of our infrastructure."
"Berkeley Releases Cloud Computing Study"
HPC Wire, February 12, 2009
Former ACM President and University of California, Berkeley professor David Patterson and professor Armando Fox discuss the impact that cloud computing will have on high-performance computing.
"Number of Paper Submissions Up for 46th DAC"
Business Wire, February 12, 2009
ACM's Design Automation Conference (DAC) has received 796 submissions for this year's technical program, which will be held from July 26-31 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
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